Color medium



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL O. ELLIS AND CLYDE ELLIS, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

COLOR MEDIUM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application led October 14, 1919. Serial No. 330,593.

To all lw 710m it may concer/n.

Be it known that we, CARL O. ELLIS and CLYDE ELLIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Color Mediums, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in color mediums that are adapted for use in theaters for producing color effects upon objects disposed upon a stage and is an improvement on the color medium disclosed in the prior patent of Carl O. Ellis, No. 1.298,917 issued April 1, 1919, and the object of our invention is to provide a new and convenient method of constructing a sectional glass color medium which consists in cutting out a semi-circular piece of glass then marking off such glass into sections by the use of a glass cutter then placing the marked semi-circular piece of glass in a frame and subjecting it to the heat of the lamp before which it is used which heat will serve to break the glass into sections along the lines on which it is marked.

Our invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts as will be more clearly hereinafter described and claimed.

In theaters it is customary to use color mediums for the purpose of casting colored light on a desired object on the stage. These color mediums ordinarily are translucent or transparent colored plates that are formed of some non-breakable gelatinous substance and are adapted to be held in front of a lamp or other source of light so that the rays of light from the lamp will pass through the color medium before they fall upon the object toward which they are directed and will thereby produce a coloring effect upon the objects.

The use of colored glass in the construction of color mediums is ordinarily unsatisfactory because such glass `is very liable to be broken by the heat of the stage lamps and by the handling to which it is subjected.

The prior invention hereinbefore referred to disclosed a sectional glass color medium for overcomin these difliculties and the present invention discloses an improved method of constructing a sectional glass color medium of this class and an improved form of frame for the same.

IVe accomplish these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a color medium embodying our invention, and

Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section of the same, on broken line 2, 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the numerals 5 and 6 designate two frame rings of flat thin metal that are secured to each other and are supported in spaced apart parallel relation by a'diametrically arranged cross bar 7, the cross bar 7 being provided on each side with a longitudinally extending groove 8 for the reception of the edges of glass plates 9 and 10 which are each subdivided into a plurality of sections as more clearly hereinafter eX- plained. i

Encircling the frame rings 5 and 6 and arranged to fit over the peripheral edges thereof is a one piece retaining band 11 of channel shaped cross section that is provided on its adjacent ends with upturned brackets 12 through which passes a bolt 13 that is arranged to secure the two ends of the retaining band together.

The bandA 11 is preferably provided with a handle 14. as shown, which facilitates the handling of the frame and said band is formed of spring metal so that it may be readily disengaged from the frame rings 5 and 6 to permit the insertion or removal of the glass plates.

In preparing the glass plates9 and 10 the same are cut into semi-circular shape so that they will fit the frame and are then marked into sections by making cuts with a glass cutter across said plates, as, for instance, on the lines 15.

The semi-circular plates are then inserted in the frame and the frame is put into use in front of a strong lamp. As soon as the glass is heated by the heat from the lamp to which it is subjected in use it will break on the lines 15 that have been marked by the glass cutter thus producing a sectional color medium.

The above process makes it easy to assemble the device and obviates the handling they were inserted into the frame andfurthermore insures that the several sections will be in their correct relative positions so that their adjoining edges will fit accurately.

If one or more sections are broken they may be quickly and easily replaced by new sections or the entire semi-circular plate may be replaced by a new one.

Each color medium will be constructed entirely of one color of glass and separate color mediums will be provided for each color desired.

It has been found by experience that the rays of light are so diffused and'deflected by the colored glass that no appreciable shadow is cast by the centrally disposed frame member 7. v y

Manifestly, changes may be made inthe forms, dimensions and arrangement of parts of our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

lVhat we claim is: vl. A colormedium comprising two rela-l tively thin flat frame rings, a diametrically arranged frame bar secured to said frame rings and supporting the same in spaced parallel relation, said frame bar having grooves in the edges thereof, a detachable retaining band of channel shaped cross-section arranged to encircle said rings and t over the edges thereof, and a plurality of sections of colored glass adapted to t within said grooves.

2. A color medium comprising two relatively thin flat rings, a detachable retaining band arranged to encircle said rings and fit over the edges thereof, and a plurality of sections of colored glass adapted to fit within said rings.

In witness-whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 2nd day'of October, A. D.

CARL o. ELLIS. y cLYDE ELLIS. 

